Are You a Good Witch or a Bad Witch?
by Midie
Summary: Drake ends up in the school production of Wicked. He really likes Shelly, who plays Elphaba. She won't have anything to do with him though. Lea, who plays Glinda, overhears Shelly who has a plan to play Drake for a fool.
1. Chapter 1

You know the drill: Drake & Josh characters do not belong to me. The Wicked songs and concepts don't belong to me. All the songs were written by Stephen Schwartz. The line "Are you a good witch or a bad witch?" is spoken by Glinda in the Wizard of Oz movie. That's not mine either.

Don't know what Wicked is? Well, it's the true story of the Witches of Oz. It was a novel that was turned into a Broadway production. It tells the story of how the Wicked Witch of the West (in Wicked she is called Elphaba) was not really wicked and how Glinda was a shallow personuntil knowing Elphaba.

For those who are fans and freaking out about reading this because it might ruin the play for them because they haven't seen it yet, don't worry. I've avoided ruining everything. Nothing that you couldn't get from listening to the soundtrack anyway. I've seen the touring production and loved it to death (but I saw it in San Francisco and Eden Espinosa the original standby played Elphaba because Stephanie Block had an injury and couldn't do the San Francisco shows, so I don't know how good Stephanie is, but Eden is awesome).

One more thing, some might be skeptical about a high school doing Wicked as a production. Number one, copyrights aren't available (I think there's rumors of them being available soon though, but I don't know much about that). Number two, it's really expensive. For simplicity's sake, the school got a huge grant for their theater department to do a play. That's how we're going to leave it.

* * *

"Look Drake!" Josh yelled as the two step-brothers walked down the hall together. "Mrs. Lane is having auditions for the school production of Wicked! I still can't believe the school got that performing arts grant. It was so huge. I can't believe it paid for a Wicked set and copyrights!"

Drake stared at Josh. Why was he so excited about this?

"Um, Josh. Why is it so great?"

"Drake! Wicked is only one of the best and most technical plays on Broadway right now. The time dragon, the bubble, the Wizard's head, the rising platform! RISING!"

"Huh?" asked Drake. He definitely wasn't getting any of this.

"Not only that, but Wicked has music that requires a huge vocal range. Whoever has the leads better be good."

"I see," said Drake. "Well, hope they find talent."

"Drake, why don't you audition?"

"Me?" Drake laughed. "No way man. Only a loser would do that Broadway stuff, and I am not a loser."

"Drake!" said Josh. "Broadway is tough. Besides it can be cool."

"Sorry Josh, not interested."

* * *

Josh walked into auditions, he approached Mrs. Lane.

"Um, Mrs. Lane," he said. "Hi, I'm Josh Nichols. I really can't sing. However, I would be willing to help with the set and things like that."

"Oh," Mrs. Lane said. "Well, why don't you be stage manager? Would you like that?"

"Would I ever!" said Josh.

"Good," Mrs. Lane replied. "Now, if you'll excuse me I have auditions to take care of."

"Of course Mrs. Lane, thanks again!"

* * *

Drake walked through the halls the next day. He could not believe Josh. He was going to be stage manager of that goofy play. What a waste of time. Then, he felt a hand touch his shoulder. He turned around and found himself face to face with the choir director.

"Hi Mrs. Lane," Drake said.

"Drake," said Mrs. Lane. "I wanted to ask, well, offer you something."

"Oh, and what would that be?"

"I wondered if you would like to play Fiyero in the school's production of Wicked."

Drake stared at her.

"Why me?" he asked.

"Because the role is hard to fill," she said. "Fiyero is supposed to be cool and charming, and the only guy who's audition was good enough was..."

"Look, Mrs. Lane. I don't really have the time, with my band and everything. So, I gotta go."

Mrs. Lane stood there and shook her head.

* * *

"I cannot believe her," said Drake to Josh later that afternoon in their bedroom. "Asking if me, Drake Parker wants to be in a musical."

"Well, she offered you the coolest part in the play," replied Josh.

"Yeah right," said Drake. "If the coolest character is named Fiyero, then I don't really care to have anything to do with it."

"Drake, do you even know what the play is about?"

"Sort of...a little...no."

"It's the true story of the witches of Oz. Before Dorothy arrived. It's about how Glinda and the Wicked Witch of the West, or in Wicked her name is Elphaba, were not what they seemed."

"Okay, yeah, bored already," said Drake.

"Yeah, and the part you were offered, Fiyero, he gets both girls."

"Huh?" asked Drake.

"Yep," said Josh. "He's a lot like you, doesn't care much for school, loves having fun, except he's a prince, but you know..."

"Wait a minute," said Drake. "That part doesn't seem so bad."

"You already turned it down though," said Josh. "Too bad, we'll all have to watch Hewitt play Fiyero."

"That loser!" said Drake. "That part is way too cool for him!" Hewitt and his group of chorus members had stolen Drake's song at the talent show. Something Drake could never forget.

Josh sighed, he definitely knew how to get Drake to see the light. A couple girls, a guy he hates, everything works out fine.

* * *

"Mrs. Lane!" cried Drake as he ran into the choir room.

"What is it Drake?" asked Mrs. Lane.

"About your offer yesterday, um, I think I do have time and would like too..."

"I'd forget about it if I were you Drake," came a voice.

"And why's that Hewitt?"

"The part's already mine."

"What?" Drake asked, looking frantically at Mrs. Lane.

"Now now," said Mrs. Lane. "We were just about to discuss that. Drake, if you think you've found the time I'd like to hear you sing. Can you sight read music?"

"Um, yeah," he replied.

"Good," she said, handing him a piece of music entitled "Dancing Through Life". "This is one of the numbers Fiyero sings, I'd like to hear you do it, I'll be on the piano."

"Okay," said Drake. Hewitt gave him an ugly look, which Drake graciously returned.

_The trouble with schools is  
They always try to teach the wrong lessons  
Believe me, I've been kicked out of enough of them to know  
They want you to become less callou, less shallow  
But I say why invite stress in  
Stop studying strife  
And learn to live the unexamined life_

"Alright, Drake please continue at 'Let's go down to the Ozdust ballroom' okay?"

"Sure."

_Let's go down to the Ozdust ballroom  
We'll meet there later tonight  
We can dance 'til it's light  
Find the prettiest girl  
Give 'er a whirl  
Right on down to the Ozdust ballroom  
Come on follow me  
You'll be happy to be there  
Dancing through life..._

"Thank you Drake," said Mrs. Lane. "I need to see you act though, so if you would, read these lines," she said handing him a sheet of paper.

Drake read the lines Mrs. Lane gave him.

"Thank you again Drake," she said. "I'll let you know tomorrow."

"Okay, thanks ma'am." Drake left and received another glare from Hewitt. Man, that guy got on Drake's nerves.


	2. Chapter 2

You know the drill: Drake & Josh characters do not belong to me. The Wicked songs and concepts don't belong to me. All the songs were written by Stephen Schwartz. The line "Are you a good witch or a bad witch?" is spoken by Glinda in the Wizard of Oz movie. That's not mine either.

So, does Drake get the part? Good question. Let's find out.

Oh yes, ReginaBina33: Awesome your school got to do that. I just graduated last year and did "For Good" as my senior solo with one of the juniors. Now, after I've graduated my old choir director has decided to haul out "Defying Gravity", "Popular", and "For Good", even though I just did "For Good" and two girls did "Popular" at the fashion show. My sister told me they butcher "Defying Gravity" and the person who arranged "For Good" made it so it's the girls and guys singing it to each other, so it's now essentially a love song, when it is so not! Okay, yeah, venting. I don't get to do them. Actually, I was originally going to do "Defying Gravity" for my solo, but I decided that it was too difficult to learn well in the amount of time I had, so I switched it. It's probably one of the hardest songs in the musical and I wonder what my old director is thinking sometimes. Anyway...onto the story!

* * *

Drake sat in class waiting for the morning announcements. Normally he didn't like to pay attention to them, but today he would hear whether he would get the part in the play or not. Not that Broadway was now cool, but perhaps Drake could make it cool. At least, this is what went through Drake's mind. Even if that didn't work he could tell the other guys he did it for the girls. Everyone could easily believe that. He was Drake Parker after all. 

"Hey, Drake," Josh poked him in the back. Drake turned around, his thoughts had just been interrupted. He hated that.

"What?"

"They just started the announcements."

"Oh, great!"

Drake sat and listened to the unimportant stuff, the lunch menu, the football scores, the audition results...wait, the audition results!

"The following students will be in the production of Wicked. If your name is called please attend the rehearsal this afternoon to receive your part," announced the secretary. She went through the list, naming in alphabetical order. "...Madison Oleson, Drake Parker..."

"Yes!" yelled Drake as he shot out of his chair.

"Mr. Parker," said Mrs. Haifer. "Do not interrupt the announcements. Please save your antics for after class."

"Sorry ma'am." Drake saw Mindy Crenshaw snicker. What did Josh see in her anyway? It was bad enough she tried to frame him for putting Mrs. Haifer's car in the classroom. Now Josh was dating her, so he had to be civil. He was happy for Josh. He finally had a girlfriend and was happy with her, which was the only reason Drake put up with Mindy.

"Did you hear though?" said Josh. "Hewitt also has a part in the play. Only one of you can be Fiyero."

"He was? Well, the part Mrs. Lane asked me about was Fiyero."

"Who knows, she might have stuck one of you as the understudy or in the chorus."

"Blah, I'm meant to be heard," said Drake.

"Mr. Parker, if you insist on talking, please share with the class. What did the turtle in last night's reading of The Grapes of Wrath represent?" asked Mrs. Haifer.

"Um...that if you don't like the book, reading it can be slow?"

"No Drake," sighed Mrs. Haifer. "I expect you to catch up with this reading. Mindy, what is the correct answer, please..."

* * *

Drake sat in the choir room by himself. He didn't know many people here, mostly because half of them were in choir. As much as he was into music, choir was not cool. He saw Hewitt and his gang of chorus boys. Drake had become worried. Suppose Hewitt was Fiyero? Just then, Mrs. Lane walked in. 

"Hello everyone," she said. "Now, you are all here, because you each have a part in Wicked. Whether you are a main character, supporting character, or in the chorus, you have been called here. Now, once I assign the main characters, I will assign the supporting. The rest will be in the chorus and broken up from there. Also, understudies will be people in the chorus. Now, first is the lead, Elphaba will be played by Shelly Bernez." A pretty blonde girl stood up and took her script and music from Mrs. Lane while everyone else clapped. A few of the other girls looked disappointed. One brightened when Mrs. Lane called next, "The part of Glinda will be played by Lea Norris." A second also very pretty blonde girl, who looked about a year younger than Drake, he was sure she was a sophomore, stood up and took her music and script from Mrs. Lane. Drake sighed. More people looked disappointed. "The part of Madame Morrible will be played by Veronica Miles." A third girl stood up and grabbed her things. Drake shifted his weight in his chair. "Now, the part of Fiyero will be played by..." Drake sat up. "...Drake Parker." Drake smiled and took his music and script. He sat back down. He noticed Hewitt giving him a nasty glare. "Nessarose will be played by Madison Oleson. Boq will be Craig Norbert. Our Doctor Dillamond is Hewitt Long. Elphaba and Nessarose's father will be Tom Daniels. Chistery will be Peter Samuels. Finally, our Wizard of Oz is Greg Joel. The remainder of you will be chorus members. You will be divided, some may have small solos. Now, I'd like to start running through these songs. So, let's start with the first song." Drake turned to the first song. "No One Mourns the Wicked." Flipping through the script he realized he really only sang in about three or four songs. That was fine. Less to memorize that way. Mrs. Lane spent some time assigning solos and running through several of the songs.

"Alright everyone, tomorrow we will rehearse lines. Soon we'll be able to move into the auditorium. Right now, Josh, our stage manager, is making sure everything that is needed is there. After that we should be able to rehearse in there, and they'll be able to work on the set. See you all tomorrow," said Mrs. Lane.

Hewitt approached her as the cast left. Drake caught little bits of their conversation. Hewitt wasn't happy to be playing Doctor Dillamond. First, he had lost the part he wanted, and now, he was playing a goat. Drake gave a quick laugh and left.

A group of girls stared at Drake as he left. Shelly was among them, she simply eyed him and tossed her hair. She knew he was a rocker. What was he doing there? He was intruding on their territory. Probably trying to get word of his band out. That had to be it. Shelly had received the part of Elphaba for her voice.

Meanwhile, Lea stood in the corner by herself. Like Drake, she had been alone too. She didn't have many friends in the choir, but she had a gorgeous voice and was a wonderful actress. Mrs. Lane had chosen her for Glinda because she could be serious and giddy, which was a great asset to anyone playing Glinda. Lea had been watching Drake. She watched him often. When she entered the school as a freshman, she fell for the sophomore who dated all the girls and had a band. She went to see him play a few times, but he never noticed her.

The interesting thing about the characters Shelly and Lea would play was that they were completely different from themselves. Shelly was the bubbly popular girl, and Lea was the one who sat aside and didn't socialize much. She loved performing though and someday hoped to sing and dance on Broadway. Shelly performed because she could. People adored her voice. It gave her attention. Why shouldn't she do it? She liked Broadway the most but would never make a career out of it. She had better things to do. Some Broadway shows had rock and roll. Lea on the other hand loved most kinds of music. She loved dancing and singing. She didn't like to share her Broadway dreams. Some people thought they were unrealistic. She didn't throw in the towel on her goal though. She would go to college to study music and theater. She would achieve her dream no matter what.

* * *

Haha...Hewitt's a goat. I just had to get him in one of my fanfictions for stealing Drake's song on the show. Not that I'm making fun of Doctor Dillamond. On thecontrary, Doctor Dillamond plays an important role in both the novel and the play...though I prefer the play over the novel, and if you've read the novel you know what I'm talking about and it's not just Doctor Dillamond.

Anyway, any Wicked fans notice the cast names? Craig _Norbert_ plays Boq. The original Fiyero was played by _Norbert _Leo Butz. _Greg Joel_ plays the wizard, while the original wizard on Broadway was _Joel_ Grey and _Gregory _Maguire wrote the novel. Oh yeah, and Carole _Shelley_ played the original Madame Morrible. Of course, I spelled the names differently here. Oh, _Peter _Samuels is Chistery. When I saw this play in San Francisco on its tour, _Peter _John Chursin played Chistery.

One last thing, I just HAD to put Drake as Fiyero. Fiyero really reminds me of Drake. The not liking school. Wanting to have fun. It just fit.


	3. Chapter 3

You know the drill: Drake & Josh characters do not belong to me. The Wicked songs and concepts don't belong to me. All the songs were written by Stephen Schwartz. The line "Are you a good witch or a bad witch?" is spoken by Glinda in the Wizard of Oz movie. That's not mine either.

As always, thanks for the reviews. I have to comment to ReginaBina33 again: I don't write things without a reason. I kept Lea as Glinda a blonde because some brunettes (like me) and redheads can't pull off a blonde dye job or wig if we tried, besides I was trying to show that Lea is a bit more Glinda/Elphaba combo rather than Galinda if you catch my drift...by the way to everyone else, it does help to have general knowledge of the play here...Drake will comment on her shyness and being pretty a little later. I did consider making her less attractive than Shelly in the beginning, but I decided not to do that. So much for actually following Wicked...but you still get the idea. I actually wrote them that way because, being in choir, I've gotten really tired of hearing the annoying"choir girl" stereotype. You'll hear more about Lea a little later. P.S.: In my series that begins with the story "Insensitive" the girl he's after is a brunette.

Dramagrl: Always reading my D&J fiction. Thanks for commenting as always!

This story is completely written. I just post a little at a time. Okay. Drake is actually getting excited about this play that he didn't even want to do in the first place. Check out what he does:

* * *

Drake walked into the house to find Josh and Mindy on the couch working on homework. 

"Yes, you are looking at the next Fiyero!" Drake said. "I wish I could find the soundtrack. That way I could hear how the part was originally done and maybe pull from that. I went to a couple stores, and they said they sold out of them. They go fast."

"I have it," said Mindy pulling a cd case from her backpack.

"Hey, can I borrow that?" Drake asked.

Mindy sighed. She couldn't stand Drake. He was Josh's brother though, and he did seem willing to do this part in the play. The fact that he was Josh's brother was enough though. If he meant something to Josh, she would be nice to him.

"Here," she said.

"Thanks," said Drake. "I should go rehearse this stuff. See ya later."

"See ya Drake," said Josh. "Boy, he's really excited about this play."

"Yeah, it's kinda out of character for him." replied Mindy.

"I hope he's getting more into the play than the reason he auditioned."

"Why'd he audition?"

"The girls."

"That is just like Drake! Doesn't he think of anything else? Who told him about the girls anyway?"

"Um...I did."

"Josh, why!"

"Because I could not stand seeing Hewitt play Fiyero. Fiyero is cool and Hewitt is...not. Ha, now he's a goat."

"I guess that is pretty funny. Isn't Hewitt the one who stole Drake's song at the talent show?"

"Yes. Drake was more upset with them for that then for you getting him in trouble."

"Can we not talk about that?"

"Sorry."

Mindy turned back to her math. Josh turned back to his notes. He had been taking care of things on the stage. He was glad he got to help with the play. He didn't have the best singing voice. He'd sing for fun, or if he was singing with Drake, like when they did Soul Man at the talent show. On his own he wasn't the best, so he didn't do musicals. He was quite glad to be working behind the scenes though. If he really liked this, maybe he'd start doing them for more plays. He liked being a part of something and making it work. Josh closed his notes for Wicked and opened his math book to the same page Mindy was working on. He'd have to balance his homework and the play, but Josh was smart. He could do it.

* * *

Drake flipped through the script before walking into the choir room the next day. He had read the entire play the night before. Nothing was as it had seemed in the original version of the story, whether you had read the book or seen the movie. How people came into the story was explained and their importance. It was quite an interesting theory on what actually happened, Drake had to admit. He tucked the script under his arm and opened the door. 

Hewitt was inside arguing with the director again. Drake smirked and turned his attention to Shelly, who had just walked into the classroom. She glanced over at him and turned away. He looked a bit shocked. Not many girls would avoid his gaze.

Hewitt finally stopped arguing with Mrs. Lane, so she could start rehearsal.

"Okay," said Mrs. Lane. "Today we will just go over lines. I want to schedule lunches with each of you to rehearse your numbers. I will announce those at the end of rehearsal today. Now, I'd like to see the opening scene with our Glinda and citizens of Oz."

Lea stood at the front of the room with the "Ozians" surrounding her. Mrs. Lane explained the scene.

"Okay, the citizens have just learned that the Wicked Witch of the West is dead, Glinda addresses the crowd, through speaking and singing. No songs today, just lines, so please skip the parts normally sung," Mrs. Lane instructed.

Drake sighed. His part didn't come until a bit later in the show. He glanced over at Shelly again. Why wouldn't she look at him?

Mrs. Lane went through the entire play, explaining set up and lines.

"Now, each of you will need to rehearse songs, please come in at lunch on the days assigned to you," she said as she passed out rehearsal schedules. "If you cannot attend any rehearsal, after school or at lunch, let me know please. Also, we may have rehearsals scheduled in the morning if necessary, so watch for those."

Drake looked at the schedule. He had to rehearse with Shelly on Tuesday and Lea on Wednesday. His song with Shelly was "As Long as You're Mine," the love song of the play. His song with Lea was "Dancing Through Life," which was the song that described Fiyero. Other than that, he didn't have much to sing. Hewitt had even less to sing, which made Drake snicker under his breath. The lunch rehearsals would start next week, as it was Friday. Drake wouldn't have to rehearse Monday. That was Shelly and Lea, they had quite a few songs together and needed the entire time, whereas everyone else was split up on other days, but Shelly had all of Thursday's lunch and Lea had all of Friday's lunch. It was the price the girls paid for being the leads. They both had so much music to learn.

* * *

Drake spent the weekend listening to the Wicked soundtrack. Josh told him if he played the CD one more time he'd snap it in half. Then Drake reminded him that the CD actually belonged to Mindy. Josh gave Drake a blank look and left the room. Drake played the song "As Long as You're Mine" again. That was the song he had to sing with Shelly. What was with her? She seemed to give him evil glances and then ignored him, except when they were rehearsing together. It didn't make sense to him. She was really pretty though. If he could get on her good side, he'd ask her out. He couldn't find her good side though. That didn't mean he'd stop trying. She was very talented. Everyone was, but she stood out. Drake didn't pay much attention when the others were rehearsing, but when she rehearsed, he watched. He sighed and stopped the CD. He went downstairs where he found Josh looking at a sketch of something. 

"What's that?" Drake asked.

"It's Glinda's transportation" replied Josh.

"Transportation?"

"Yeah. It's basically a platform with a round back that we left Lea around on. You know how in the movie Glinda floats around in a pink bubble? Well, they can't recreate that obviously, so this was the idea they came up with. Cool huh?"

"Sure," said Drake.

"Then there's where we lift Shelly for the 'Defying Gravity' scene. Man, this is gonna be so cool."

It wasn't that Drake wasn't glad to see his brother excited to be involved with this play, but he wasn't really into the technical stuff. Besides, he was trying to think of ways to get Shelly to act civil to him. What if he complimented her on something? It was worth a shot. Most girls liked that.


	4. Chapter 4

You know the drill: Drake & Josh characters do not belong to me. The Wicked songs and concepts don't belong to me. All the songs were written by Stephen Schwartz. The line "Are you a good witch or a bad witch?" is spoken by Glinda in the Wizard of Oz movie. That's not mine either.

Okay. Let's learn more about these two girls, shall we?

* * *

Drake and Shelly were in rehearsal for "As Long as You're Mine" on Tuesday at lunch. Shelly sang really well he thought. He had decided to try complimenting her when they finished. They went through the song the first half of the lunch period. Halfway through, Greg walked in. 

"Alright," said Mrs. Lane. "That's enough. I need to work with Greg now."

Drake and Shelly gathered their things and left the choir room. They were both headed to the cafeteria and Drake finally spoke.

"You know, you sing really well," said Drake.

"Thanks," said Shelly. "You're alright. I wouldn't expect much out of a rocker though."

"Wait, what's that supposed to mean?"

"What are you doing in this play Parker? I know very well that you're not the Broadway type."

"Okay, maybe I started for not so good reasons, but now, I actually like it."

"Yeah right."

"No look, I've realized something. No matter what music you do, you need to respect the other genres too. Especially since a lot of them can tie together. I just wish it hadn't taken me so long to figure that out."

"Rock and roll is poison to the mind."

"Hey, I actually learned something from this, which is pretty surprising, and you're turning it all around."

"I don't see how that music can be entertaining."

"Hey," said Drake.

"I'm outta here," said Shelly.

Drake looked confused as he slid into a chair next to Josh in the cafeteria. What was with that girl?

* * *

Drake was still puzzling over Shelly as he rehearsed with Lea the next day. He had to admit, Lea was pretty good too. If only Shelly would be civil though. Lea didn't have much to sing in this song, but she had some parts with Shelly later in the song, which they were rehearsing on Mondays. Drake and Lea finished their rehearsal as Hewitt and Shelly walked in. They both gave Drake a glare. Drake returned the glare toward Hewitt. He and Lea packed and left. They walked silently down the hall. He wondered why Shelly hated him just because he was in a rock band, and why couldn't Hewitt get over himself? 

"You're still kinda upset about him taking your song at the talent show aren't you?" asked Lea.

"Huh?" asked Drake, shocked that Lea had spoken to him. She normally only did when they read lines. Otherwise, he didn't notice her much. "Oh, Hewitt? Yeah, well, I wasn't happy. How'd you know it was my song?"

"Oh, I heard you practicing it with your band at the Premiere the day Hewitt bugged you about it. Then I heard him and his friends sing it at the talent show."

"Wait, you hang out at the Premiere?"

"Sometimes, when my cousin comes to town. Otherwise, I don't have friends to hang out with there." She knew she sounded like a loser to him. Now, he knew she was even more of a loner.

The truth was, no one knew why Lea was a loner. She was very pretty and extremely talented. Why was she alone all the time? Ever since she had moved to San Diego before freshman year she was scared that people wouldn't like her, so she didn't talk to anyone. As a result, she didn't have many friends. Only some from her middle school. She hated herself for it. Especially when she had first seen Drake. He had never noticed her. He was a sophomore first of all. She was just a freshman. He would never look in her direction. When she became a sophomore, her odds of him casting her a glance were better, but she wasn't popular or social, so he never noticed her. Now he knew who she was and he didn't seem to care much. She knew he liked Shelly. That had been obvious to her. Guys always liked Shelly.

"So," said Drake. "Is Hewitt always...Hewitt?"

"Yes," she laughed. "He thinks he's leader of the guys in choir. I had to sing with him last year. It was annoying. He kept stopping because he claimed I was singing wrong. Hah, he was singing in the wrong key."

"I noticed you don't miss notes."

"Uh, no, not really. I learned to sight read music early, and my ear was always pretty good, so I haven't had much trouble with pitch lately." She was worried she was coming across as show-offy. "...but when I started it was a mess. I hit the wrong notes everywhere."

"I guess it does take practice. That's why my band practices every chance they get."

"I can tell. You guys are good."

"You've heard my band?" asked Drake.

"A few times," replied Lea, blushing slightly.

They reached the cafeteria. Lea was disappointed. Once they walked through those doors Drake would ignore her and meet up with his popular friends. She wished that even Josh would talk to her, while he wasn't completely good with Drake's friends, she knew he was trying and they were making an effort to put up with him while Drake tried to make him cool. She knew Josh was nice and would normally talk to anyone. He had just never spoken to her. She headed toward her little corner of the cafeteria where she always ate alone. She sighed and wished for someone to notice her.

* * *

Aww. Okay, Drake's a blind idiot in this story...but I still love him anyway. 


	5. Chapter 5

You know the drill: Drake & Josh characters do not belong to me. The Wicked songs and concepts don't belong to me. All the songs were written by Stephen Schwartz. The line "Are you a good witch or a bad witch?" is spoken by Glinda in the Wizard of Oz movie. That's not mine either.

Okay...more of Shelly being, well, Shelly. She's so mean. I can't believe I wrote her. Anyway, here's chapter 5.

* * *

The cast was finally able to start rehearsals in the auditorium. The set crew worked around them building the set and making sure everything worked properly. This would take a while, with all the technical things, so the cast had plenty of rehearsal time. Meanwhile, Drake was still trying to get on Shelly's good side. 

"Hey," said Drake. "That was really great, you act really well."

Shelly glared and turned away. Drake still didn't understand. She was probably the only girl who ever turned away from him that way. Though one had to come along eventually, he didn't know she would act like this. She really couldn't seem to stand Drake. The concept was awfully hard for him to grasp. He left rehearsal feeling puzzled and trying to think of new ways to talk to Shelly. As much as she ignored him, he still liked her. He didn't notice Lea watching him everyday, wishing he were speaking to her.

* * *

Drake had to stay after school late one afternoon. He needed help with a part of "As Long as You're Mine," and Mrs. Lane said she'd help him after school. As he opened the door to the choir room, he heard someone singing. 

_Where do we go from here?  
This isn't where we intended to be  
We had it all  
You believed in me  
I believed in you_

_Certainties disappear  
What do we do for our dream to survive?  
How do we keep all our passions alive  
As we used to do?_

Drake thought whoever was singing had a gorgeous voice. He slipped through the door and made his way into the room.

_Deep in my heart I'm concealing  
Things that I'm longing to say  
Scared to confess what I'm feeling  
Frightened you'll slip away_

_You must love me  
You must love me_

Drake was shocked, he realized it was Lea who had been singing. He sat down quietly and listened to her sing. Lea didn't notice him.

_Why are you at my side?  
How can I be any use to you now?  
Give me a chance  
And I'll let you see how  
Nothing has changed_

_Deep in my heart I'm concealing  
Things that I'm longing to say  
Scared to confess what I'm feeling  
Frightened you'll slip away_

_You must love me  
You must love me  
You must love me_

Lea finished and sighed. She made a note in her notebook and closed it.

"That was beautiful," Drake said

Lea jumped into the air, realizing she wasn't alone.

"Oh, Drake," she said. "I didn't know you were there." Funny, normally he didn't notice her. Wait, Drake Parker just paid her a compliment. "Thank you."

"What's that from? I've never heard it before."

"It's called 'You Must Love Me.' It's from the musical Evita, well the movie."

"Never heard of Evita."

"Really?"

"Well, I knew there was a movie. It looked kinda dumb to me because it was a musical I guess."

"You thought it was dumb because it was a musical?"

"Well, I wouldn't say that anymore. When I first started this play I didn't think musicals were the greatest form of music. I really appreciate them now though. Besides if I ever want to make it big with my band, I better respect all kinds of music."

"I see. I love Broadway, but I like listening to just about everything else too. Sure, I can't stand some music and artists, but most music I love. I want to perform on Broadway someday. My parents hate the idea, but that's what I want to do."

"Well, keep singing like that and I think you'll get there," said Drake.

Lea blushed.

"Thanks. You seriously thought Evita was dumb because it was a musical? Did you know Madonna and Antonio Banderas were in it?"

"Antonio Banderas? Zorro?"

"Yeah, he actually sings pretty well. His songs are my favorite from Evita, except 'You Must Love Me,' that's my absolute favorite from Evita."

"I see, that sounds interesting I guess. Maybe I should be watching more musicals. I can't necessarily go to New York and see any onstage though."

"A lot of them tour though. It's a good way to see them."

"Well, that's..."

At that moment, Shelly walked into the room. She didn't look too happy.

"I can't believe that since you can't get this stupid song, I have to stay after today and practice with you! Why can't you get it? Are you musically uninclined?" hollered Shelly.

"Shelly," said Lea. "You aren't being fair, Drake's used to singing his music, not Broadway."

"Oh, you mean that brain poison?" asked Shelly. "No wonder he can't figure this stuff out. Who asked you anyway Lea?"

Lea looked at Shelly, turned away and left. Drake wasn't sure what just happened. Shelly just stood there glaring at him. She wasn't the least bit happy that she had to stay after school late on a Friday. She had plans that weekend after all.

"I just want to get this over with, I feel like my time's being wasted," she said.

Drake stared at Shelly. She was so pretty. He didn't really blame her for not wanting to stay after late. It was Friday. She had just insulted him, but he still liked her. He would just have to try harder to get her to like him. Mrs. Lane walked into the room began to work with them. Drake had the song better now. Even after that afternoon, he still wanted Shelly to like him.

* * *

Yeah, yeah, yeah...Drake's still a moron.

I had to include the "You Must Love Me" which is not in the Evita musical. It is in the movie. I believe it was added because part of the movie is different from the play. Interesting 'eh? Anyway, I absolutely love that song. To me, it's really emotional. Not really any big notes in it, but the emotion of a song is sometimes hard to capture and can make a song sound really good. Notes shouldn't be overlooked, but I don't think emotion should be either. If emotion were overlooked, a lot of music wouldn't be any good, kinda blah.


	6. Chapter 6

You know the drill: Drake & Josh characters do not belong to me. The Wicked songs and concepts don't belong to me. All the songs were written by Stephen Schwartz. The line "Are you a good witch or a bad witch?" is spoken by Glinda in the Wizard of Oz movie. That's not mine either.

Will anybody get a reality check anytime soon? Uh, you'll have to read to find out.

* * *

Lea took a pass to the bathroom during science a few months later. The play would be opening in about another month. She already saw a few fliers for it as she walked down the hallway to the bathroom. She reached the door and walked inside. From inside the stall, she heard the door open and Shelly walk in with her best friend, Katherine. 

"He won't leave me alone! I can't stand it!" exclaimed Shelly.

Lea listened quietly. She knew Shelly was talking about Drake. She thought about how lucky Shelly was. Lea wished Drake would try to get to know her. The few times they had spoken he had been extremely nice to her. However, that was when his friends weren't around. Most of the time they were. For this reason, she barely ever spoke with him.

"Well, some girls would give anything to have him chase them," said Katherine.

"Eh..." replied Shelly. She couldn't stand the thought.

"Well, he is hot. I mean come on, he's in a rock band and..."

"Who cares about his stupid band?" Shelly asked.

"I'm just saying a lot of girls would like to date him."

"Are you trying to tell me to date him?" asked Shelly.

"Well, if you don't want to then..." Katherine began.

"That's it!" Shelly interrupted her friend. "I will date him. Lead him on, then dump him in front of everyone at the cast party after the performance next month." She laughed at her own joke.

"Are you sure?" asked Katherine.

"Yes, I am," replied Shelly. "He needs to learn that not every girl wants him."

"So when does your plan go into action?" asked Katherine.

"Today, after rehearsal I'll see if he'll walk me home. I don't know why he keeps chasing me, but now this will be entertaining." Shelly and Katherine left the bathroom.

Lea came out of the stall and looked around. She had been the only one who heard Shelly's plan. She had to tell Drake, but how? He didn't talk to her during school. He didn't notice her. No one ever noticed. He probably wouldn't hear a word she said. She wished she had a friend who could help her, but she didn't. Lea was upset. She really cared about Drake and didn't want Shelly to hurt him like that, but he barely spoke to her. Could she tell him before it became too late?

* * *

Rehearsal was going well. Everyone seemed to be getting into their parts. Lea couldn't concentrate very well though. She kept thinking about what she'd heard in the bathroom. What could she do? 

Rehearsal ended, and Shelly approached Drake.

"Hey Drake," said Shelly.

"Hi," said Drake, a bit shocked that she was finally talking to him.

"So I was wondering, if you wanted to walk me home today?" she asked, sweetly.

"Um, sure," he replied. They walked by Lea, who looked worried. What could she do?

Lea searched frantically around the stage, wait, Drake's brother. Josh was nice. He was bound to listen to her.

"Hey Josh," said Lea.

"Oh, what's up?" he asked. "Guess what? I'm almost done with your 'bubble.' It's about time too. It's just taking so long...wait, is something wrong?"

"Well," she began. "I was in the bathroom earlier today and heard Shelly talking to one of her friends."

"Oh yeah, I guess Drake's taking her home today."

"Yeah," said Lea. "She wants to lead him on. You know, make him think she actually likes him and then she plans on breaking up with him in front of everyone at the cast party after the show next month."

"Are you sure?" asked Josh, looking concerned.

"Yeah," she said. "Shelly's never been really nice. The only thing she's got going for her is her looks and her voice."

"You know, you've got that going for you too," said Josh. "Except, you're also really sweet. You've got a lot of things that Shelly doesn't have. I don't know why Drake is chasing her, when you're so much nicer."

"Yeah, well, I gotta go," she said, turning red. "See ya Josh."

"Bye, and I'll be sure to talk to Drake."

* * *

"Hey Drake," said Josh as they got ready for bed that night. 

"What?" asked Drake.

"Um, you know how you went home with Shelly today?"

"Yeah, actually, we're going to start dating."

"Um, I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Why not?"

"She's leading you on."

"What are you talking about?" asked Drake.

"Another girl heard her talking in the bathroom today," said Josh. For some reason, maybe because Lea was so shy, he didn't want to come right out and say it was Lea who heard. If it got back to Shelly, Lea's life could be terrible.

"Dude, I doubt it. No girl can resist Drake Parker."

"But Drake..." Drake had turned off the lights and flipped over on his side, meaning he was done with Josh for the night. Just great.

* * *

Shelly is a...well since this fic is rated K, I won't say it. Two more chapters to go to this story.


	7. Chapter 7

You know the drill: Drake & Josh characters do not belong to me. The Wicked songs and concepts don't belong to me. All the songs were written by Stephen Schwartz. The line "Are you a good witch or a bad witch?" is spoken by Glinda in the Wizard of Oz movie. That's not mine either.

Hehehe. Just so you guys know, I do a lot of foreshadowing in my stories. I tried to do it in here because Wicked is full of it too. "I'd be so happy I could melt!" And not just to the Wizard of Oz story, but other parts of the play as well. If I told you which other characters use it, I'd give away part of the ending though. Foreshadowing is used in the novel a little...it didn't stand out to me as well as the play did. I read the book first. I prefer the play.

This is the shortest chapter, just so you know, but it's important!

* * *

Drake and Shelly had been dating for a few weeks. There was one week until the show and both Josh and Lea were worried about Drake. 

Drake and Shelly walked into the Premiere. Drake headed over to the snack counter where Josh was working.

"So," said Josh. "Is she going to be a monther?"

"Maybe," said Drake. "Maybe longer."

"Why are you even going out with her?" asked Josh. "She seemed to hate you before."

"Hey, lighten up Josh," said Drake. "She likes me now. That's all that matters."

"Okay," said Josh. "What ever you say."

* * *

Shelly walked into the bathroom and ran into Lea. 

"Hello," said Shelly.

"Hi," said Lea. Shelly never talked to her at school. This was a first. She decided to look further into the situation. "So, you're going out with Drake?" she questioned.

"Yeah," said Shelly. "But not for long."

"What do you mean?" asked Lea playing dumb.

"I'm giving him what he deserves. Next week at the cast party he's going to learn a lesson he won't soon forget." Shelly gave an evil grin and walked out of the bathroom.

Lea stared after Shelly. She just had to let Drake know what was going on.

* * *

Shelly walked out of the bathroom when her cell phone rang. It was her mother. She wanted her home, now. 

"Drake," she said. "I'm sorry, but I have to go." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and left.

Drake walked over to the snack counter again.

"So," said Josh. "How's it going?"

"Great," replied Drake. "Definitely a possible monther."

"Oh brother," said Josh.

Drake turned around and noticed Lea sitting at a table by herself reading a book.

"Why's Lea sitting alone?" he asked.

"I don't think she has many friends," Josh replied.

"Why not? I mean, she's pretty. She's smart. She's a really good singer..."

"I don't know," said Josh. "She's just kind of shy."

"Hmm," said Drake. He walked toward Lea.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi," she responded. It was a bit odd to her that Drake was actually speaking to her. Wait, she could tell him about what was going on. "So you're dating Shelly now are you?"

"Oh, yeah," said Drake.

"I see," said Lea. She squirmed in her seat. How do you break it to someone that they're being played for a fool?

"Is something wrong?" asked Drake.

"Yes," said Lea honestly.

"Can I help?" he asked. This was very nice of him to ask. If the problem had been her own she would have melted on the spot. This wasn't the case though. She needed to tell him what was going on.

"You see Drake," she began. "This is about you."

"What?"

"Look, I know Josh talked to you a few weeks ago and told you Shelly was going to dump you soon."

"Yeah, how did you know that?"

"Because I told Josh to tell you. I heard her in the bathroom, and she just told me now. She doesn't think I'd tell you. I'm just worried about you is all."

"Why are you worried about me?" Drake inquired.

"I just can't stand to see anyone being played like that," she said quickly.

"I see," he said. "Well, I'm pretty sure she won't do that." He got up and started to leave, but first he turned back around. "Oh, yeah," he said. "I watched that movie. You were right. It was pretty good." He turned and left.

Lea stared after him. He hadn't believed her. She knew he was going to get hurt.

* * *

So, Drake isn't coming to his senses. At least he's noticing Lea...and listening to her...taking her advice...when Shelly's not around. Yes, one chapter to go. 


	8. Chapter 8

You know the drill: Drake & Josh characters do not belong to me. The Wicked songs and concepts don't belong to me. All the songs were written by Stephen Schwartz. The line "Are you a good witch or a bad witch?" is spoken by Glinda in the Wizard of Oz movie. That's not mine either.

Okay, longest chapter. Plenty of lyrics in this one...which I double checked with a Wicked songbook. It's the most accurate set of lyrics I have, considering the songs were arranged by Stephen Schwartz and a few other people who gave him help. Yes, this is the book I used to sing "For Good". Anyway, more cruelty by Shelly...how's this all going to end up? I'm not going to tell you. You'll just have to read!

* * *

Drake and Josh ran around the house on Friday night. Drake was making sure he had everything. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt and would change into his costume when he got to the school. Josh was dressed in black, as the rest of the stage crew would be, to make sure no one saw him as he moved around backstage. 

The two guys hopped in the car and took off for the school. When they arrived, they headed inside and backstage. Josh began making sure everything was ready, and Drake headed into the guy's dressing room to change into his first costume.

When Drake opened the door Hewitt was standing there. He gave Drake an "if looks could kill" glance and headed toward the make-up room. Drake pulled on his pants and white shirt. Then he slipped his red vest over it. He headed toward the make-up room himself.

On the way out he ran into Mindy backstage. She had been talking to Josh before the show.

"Hey Mindy," said Drake. "This is going to seem odd, but I need to ask you something."

"What?" she asked.

"If a girl says she's worried about another girl hurting you...does that mean she likes you?"

"Uh, yeah," said Mindy, a bit shocked. "I guess so. Unless she's your sister."

"I see. Thanks," said Drake. He opened the door to the make-up room.

Shelly had been there about an hour earlier. She was applying a ton of green make-up. She had to cover her face, shoulders, arms, and hands. Lea was sitting in front of another mirror. Her hair fell to her shoulders in pretty gold curls. Drake looked from her to Shelly and thought about what Josh and Lea said. Shelly was not going to embarrass him in front of everyone.

* * *

_Good news...  
She's dead...  
The Witch of the West is dead!  
The wickedest witch there ever was  
The enemy of all of us here in Oz  
Is dead...  
Good news...  
Good news..._

Drake watched from backstage. He didn't go on for quite some time yet, but he was enjoying watching. Then, Lea appeared onstage. Josh had done a good job working on her "bubble." Obviously it wasn't as elaborate or as amazing as the Broadway set piece, but it looked pretty good.

_Fellow Ozians,  
Let us be glad  
Let us be greatful  
Let us rejoicify that goodness could subdue  
The wicked workings of you know who...  
Isn't it nice to know  
That good will conquer evil?  
The truth we'll all believe'll  
By and by...  
Outlive a lie...  
For you and..._

Drake watched. Lea really was good. She was really pretty too. She had been so nice to him. Uh oh, what was going on with his head?

* * *

Drake stood onstage. Wow, this was a bit scary. Good thing he got used to it with his band. He was enjoying being in the musical though. He was in the middle of "Dancing Through Life," which reminded him a bit of himself. 

_Let's go down to the Ozdust ballroom  
We'll meet there later tonight  
We can dance till it's light  
Find the prettiest girl  
Give 'er a whirl..._

Drake grabbed Lea's hand and spun her around. This production was pretty fun, he had to admit.

* * *

_When I see depressing creatures  
With unprepossessing features  
I remind them on their own behalf  
To...think...of  
Celebrated heads of state  
Or 'specially great communicators  
Did they have brains or knowledge?  
Don't make me laugh  
They were popular  
Please!  
It's all about popular  
It's not about aptitude  
It's the way you're viewed  
That's why it's very shrewd to be  
Very very popular  
Like me_

Lea's song didn't fit her much. She wasn't the popular one. She could definitely pull off Glinda though. She was cute and was able to act very perky.

* * *

Drake and Lea argued onstage as Fiyero and Glinda and Drake went offstage. Lea got back up and continued to sing. 

_That's why...  
I couldn't be happier  
No, I couldn't be happier  
Though it is I admit  
The tiniest bit  
Unlike I anticipated_

_But I couldn't be happier  
Simply, couldn't be happier  
Well, not simply  
'Cause getting your dreams  
It's strange but it seems  
A little, well, complicated_

_There's a kind of a sort of... cost  
There's a couple of things get... lost  
There are bridges you cross  
You didn't know you crossed  
Until you crossed..._

_And if that joy  
That thrill  
Doesn't thrill like you think it will  
Still  
With this perfect finale  
The cheers and the ballyhoo  
Who wouldn't be happier?  
So, I couldn't be happier  
Because happy is what happens  
When all your dreams come true  
Well isn't it?  
Happy is what happens  
When your dreams come true..._

Lea couldn't help but think that she really wasn't happy at that point. She wanted someone she couldn't have, and it broke her heart that Drake was being played by Shelly.

* * *

_Kiss me to fiercely  
Hold me too tight  
I need help believing  
You're with me tonight_

Drake listened to Shelly singing. She was good, but Lea's voice sounded better to him for some reason.

_My wildest dreamings  
Could not foresee  
Lying beside you  
With you wanting me..._

Actually, Shelly didn't appear as pretty as Lea. Even without the green make-up. She also seemed very close-minded, so why had he wanted to date her in the first place?

_Just for this moment  
As long as you're mine  
I've lost all resistance  
And crossed some borderline  
And if it turns out  
It's over too fast  
I'll make every last moment last  
As long as you're mine_

Shelly was kind of nasty. What exactly had he seen in her? She was glaring now. Hmm...Ah! His turn to sing!

* * *

_Who can say if I've been changed for the better, but  
Because I knew you  
No one mourns the wicked  
Because I knew you  
I have been changed..._

_No one mourns the wicked  
Wicked!  
Wicked!_

The play ended and everyone in the audience began to applaud. The cast came out onstage and took their bows and headed off to the back. Drake pulled off his costume and quickly changed into his jeans and t-shirt again. He headed to the sink and washed the bit of make-up off of his face. He headed out the door and waited for Shelly. It was going to take a while for her to get that green make-up off of her face. He was supposed to wait for her and go with her to the cast party though. The party was going to be at the Premiere. Josh had originally asked Helen if they could have it there, but she had said no...until she learned Drake was in the play.

Shelly walked out and gave Drake a smile. She knew what was coming later. Oh, it was going to be good.

* * *

Everyone was at the Premiere and having a good time. Shelly was talking with some of the girls from the chorus when she decided the time was right. 

"Drake," she said. "Can I talk to you?"

Lea looked up. She stood about ten feet away from them. Drake hadn't listened to her. Now Shelly was going to embarrass him in front of everyone.

"Actually," said Drake. "I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh?" said Shelly.

"Yeah," began Drake. "You know, we've been dating for about a month now and from that, I would think that people in that kind of relationship would respect each other and be trusting. From what I hear though, that's not the case. From what I hear, you seem to think you were going to teach me a lesson. Well, I'm sorry. That won't be happening today. I should've forgotten about you the moment you started insulting me. I just can't stay away from a pretty face though. Now, I don't think I like you very much anymore. We're through Shelly."

Shelly stared at him in disbelief. Everyone was staring at the pair. Someone had told him, but who? Who had known what she was going to do? Katherine wouldn't have told Drake. The only other person she had told was Lea. There was no way Lea would talk to Drake, so how did he find out?

"Who told you?" she demanded.

"I don't think that's what's important," said Drake. "I do know that they were concerned about my feelings though, which is more than I can say for you. I guess I really did choose the wicked witch when the good one was right in front of me the whole time."

"Huh?" asked Shelly.

Drake turned and headed toward Lea. She felt her knees get a bit shaky. Why was Drake approaching her?

"Hi," said Drake.

"Hi," responded Lea.

"I told you she wouldn't do that to me," he said with a grin.

Lea looked at him. He had believed her.

Shelly looked shocked.

"Lea!" Shelly exclaimed. "You told him?"

"Yes," said Lea.

"You like him," said Shelly, smiling smugly. "That's why you told him. The little sophomore likes the junior that she can't have," Shelly said mockingly.

"Actually," said Drake. "I was just about to ask the 'little sophomore' out."

Shelly dropped her jaw. No guy had ever left her to go out with Lea. No guy ever went out with Lea period. Now, as much as Shelly couldn't stand him, the hottest and most popular guy in school, who was also older than Lea, was asking her out.

"Well," said Drake, looking at Lea. "What do you say?"

"Yes," said Lea.

"Great."

"Hey you can't just..." Shelly cried as Drake and Lea walked away from her. "I'm not through with you Drake Parker...If you think you can...oooooh!" Shelly began to storm out of the Premiere. She ran into Craig, who was carrying a bowl of green punch. She was drenched from head to foot.

"Gee Shelly," said Craig. "I thought you already took off your make-up."

"Ahh!" she screamed as she pushed past Craig and out of the theater with everyone remaining in the lobby laughing.

Drake made his way over to Josh.

"Sorry I didn't believe you before man," Drake said to Josh. "I guess she was only a monther."

"It's cool," said Josh. "Everything's good now."

"So," said Mindy. "That's why you asked me if when a girl asked if she was worried about you if that meant she liked you."

"Uh, yeah," said Drake.

Lea turned red. She realized she must have been a bit obvious.

Drake pulled Lea to the side, away from everyone else.

"Thanks," he said. "I really owe you."

"I didn't know you figured out that I liked you. I mean, I felt bad enough as it was. Practically every girl here likes you. I was a year younger. I didn't think I had much of a chance."

"Well," said Drake. "I don't think that year's going to matter." He bent down and kissed her.

Lea realized at that moment she couldn't be happier, and this time, it was true.

* * *

Okay, do I get the prize for corniest last line or what? Anyway, gotta love karma. I don't think Shelly will be messing with Drake or Lea for a long time. I wanted to give Craig the final insult because he's the annoying geek who annoys Eric even, and he's his best friend. So, Craig had the honor of irritating Shelly, which makes her defeat all the more so sweet for Drake and Lea. By the way, if you haven't been able to tell by this story my favorite character in Wicked is Glinda. 

There will be a bit of a delay to the sequel of "Measure of a Man". You see, I've completely written the sequel, but I haven't edited it, like at all. As much as I love what came out of the third story in my series, it's still missing some pieces. There are the Drake & Josh moments that make us smile, but then again, it doesn't seem like enough. Anyway, it's called "Collide" and it will be up here soon.


End file.
